Clutch.



G. 3. WEINMAN.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED 11:13.28, 1912.

Patent@ Feb. M, w13.

vnumber of rad CHRISTIAN d'. WEINMAN, OF DAYTON, GHB).

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

" rammed ses. zii, reta.

Application led February 28, 1912. l `Serial No. 680,529.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN J. WEIN- MAN, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Dayton, in t-he county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements "in Clutches;-

and I do declare the Afollowing to be a full,

clear, and eXact description of the inven-v tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it app'ertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 4and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clutches. f

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective clutch which may be set gradually and. without throwing excessive strains on the clutch or the mechanism driven thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clutch that may be easily set or adjusted to drive in either direction.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved clutch, on the line a/-a of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section on the line b-b of F ig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line c-o of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is` a-perspective view of one of the incline blocks'.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents adriving shaft to which is keyed a revolving member 2. Journaled on the hub 3 of the revolving member. 2, or\ directly upon the shaft 1, is a driven member 4 provided with a flange 5 which incases the revolving member 2. The said revolv' ing member 2 is provided with a suitable ial openings 6 which receive sliding blocks 7 having ta red or inclined faces 8. The said blocks and the flange 5 formv wedge shaped pockets 15 -within which are placed rollers 9- provided withstems 10 which receive hooks 11. The hooks 11 are attached to one end of springs 12 which lie in peripheral grooves 13 in said revolving member 2, the other ends of said springs 12 'being attached to the revolving member 2 at 14. The said springs 12 are adapted to normally maintain the rollers 9 in the larger ends of the pockets 8. Therollcrs 9 and the blocks 7 are prevented from moving laterally out of the pockets 6 and 15 by an annular plate 16 attached to the memrollers 9 when means of v ation, it

ber 2 by screws 17. The blocks 7 are normally maintained in engagement with the the clutch is not set, by a suitable spring`18 which lies in grooves 20 in the inner faces 29 of'said blocks. ward force is exerted on the blocks 7 to cause the rollers 9 to ride up the incline surfaces 8 and to become wedged between the blocks and the iiange 5, and to thereby cause the driving and driven members to rotate in unison. This is accomplished by the following means: Slidingly mounted on the shaft 1 is a shifter or sleeve 21 provided with a peripheral groove 23 for the connection of a shifting lever (not shown) and by which said Isleeve is shifted. The said sleeve 21 is provided with a cylindrical portion 24 which slightly tapers and has a groove 25 adapted to receive an annular spring 26 held thereon by an overlapping ring 27.. The blocks 7 are provided with linner tapered surfaces 28 adapted to 'be engaged by the spring 26. When the sleeve 21 is shifted, the said spring 26 -will engage-the surfaces 28, thereby causing said spring to compress an'd causing the same to ride onto the inner faces 29 of the blocks 7. This takes .place 'during 'the continued'movem'ent of the sleeve V21. When in this position, the spring 26 exerts a force against thev blocks 7 suiiicient `to produce enough friction between the blocks 7, rollers 9 and iiange 5, to cause the rollers 9 toroll lon the inclined faces of the blocks. vThis movement of the rollers 9 will move the blocks 7 inwardly against the tension of the sl ring 26 and in contact with the cylindrica portion 24 of the shifting sleeve. The rollers 9 will move along the incline surfaces of the blocks until they become ljammed in the wedge shaped pockets 15, driven members will rotatein'unison, The spring'26 permits the sleeve 21to 4be thrown in quickly, and at the same time permits the two members ofthe clutch to be connected gradually. Under some conditions of operspring 26, in whichcase' the sleeve 21 is provided vvith a conical end 30 adapted to engage the blocks 7 when said sleeve is reversed. .I't is to `be noted, that, when the driven .member 4 is retarded, the relative Out- 'l at which time the driving andi' may be'desirable toeliminate the movement between the driving and driven members will cause the rollers 9 to roll farther into the pockets 15,'thereby causing a closer binding between the two' members. When it is desired to release the clutch, t-he l the inclined in the form of a pulley,

sleeve 21 is thrown away from the blocks. To permit the cylindrical portion thereof to be easily disengaged from the blocks, the periphery of said portion -is made slightly tapered, as before stated. When the sleeve is released, the pressure against the rollers 9 will be relieved, thus permitting the springs 12 to draw said rollers back into the large end of the pockets 15.

It will be seen, that the construction of the clutch is such that the wear on the roll ers and blocks will be compensated for by surfaces 8 of said blocks.

Either the revolving member 2 or the member 4 may be the clutching action is only securedfor one direction of rotation of the driving member. However, it will be seen that, if the blocks 7 and the springs 12 be reversed, the driving member can rotate the clutch in the opposite direction.

The flange 5 of the driven member may be driven member may receive a gear, said driven member may be connected to be driven by any well known means.

Without limiting myself to mere details of construction which may be varied without departing from the essential features of my invention, I claim ing members,

Y the lower portions ,Very and with a sliding l'. A clutch'comprising driven and drivone of said members being a groove on its outer periph lurality of radial openings, blocksliaving outer tapered sides lying within the inner portions of said openings, rollers mounted in said openings and in engagement with said tapered sides, resilient lmembers secured to the lgrooved member and to the rollers and lying in said groove, said resilient members adapted to hold said rollers normally in contact with of the tapered sides of said blocks, and a shifting member adapted to engage the'inner sides of said blocks to move them outwardly, whereby the rollers are caused to roll upon the tapered surfaces of said blocks to clutch the driving and driven clutch members when said grooved member is rotated.

, 2. A clutch comprising driven and driving members, one of'said members being provided with a 'plurality of' radial openings, sliding blocks having louter tapered sides lying within the inner portions of said openings, rollers mounted in said openings and in engagementvwith said ta ered sides, resilient members secured to t e member provided with the tapered surfaces of said -the driving and driven clutch members the driving member, but

and the hub of thel or the,

members having openings therein, fing blocks provided with tapered outer faces provided with said openings and to said rollers, said resilientmembers adapted to hold said rollers normally in contact with the lower portions of the rtapered sides of said blocks, van annular resilient member engaging said blocks and normally holding said blocks in said openings, and a shiftable member adapted to engage the inner sides of said blocks to move them` outwardly, whereby the. rollers are caused to move up blocks to clutch when one of said members is rotated.

3. The combination with the driving and driven members of a clutch, said driving member having'openings therein, of sliding blocks provided with tapered outer faces mounted in said openings and forming a series of radial pockets the bottoms of which are the tapered faces of said blocks, means for maintaining said blocks in said open ings, rollers mounted in said pockets and resting upon the tapered bottoms thereof, resilient members holding said rollers normally in contact with the lower surfaces of the bottoms of said pockets, and a slidable shifting member having rigid and' elastic portions adapted to engage the inner sides of said blocks to move them outwardly and to therebyy cause the rollers to ride up the tapered bottoms of said pockets and to unite the two clutch members.

4. The combination with the driving and driven members of a clutch, one of said of 'slidmounted in said openings and forming a series of radial pockets are the tapered faces of said blocks, means for ymaintaining said blocks in said openings, rollers mounted in said pockets and resting upon the tapered bottoms thereof, resilient members 'holding said rollers normallyin contact with the lower surfaces of the bottoms of said pockets, an annular resilient member adapted to press said blocks against said rollers to cause them to -engage the driven member of the clutch, and a shiftable member carrying said annular resilient member and adapted to be engaged by said blocks when said rollers roll upon saidtapered faces thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

Y CHRISTIAN J. VVEINMAN. Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY,

lIAT'rHnW Sinnnn.

the bottoms of which` 

